Then he has failed miserably!

The best deal he could have gotten, has come and gone. The players are losing every day and the offers are just going to get worse and the player will end up with less in the long term. Idiots.
- Iggysbff

Exactly.

Attends un peu......


















ON S'EN CALISSE PAREIL.
- soad_live

No he's right ,shame on me

OK... he ended baseball for me! I have not spent a single penny on baseball since '94. Nor will I. I don't want to get there for hockey...
- pmccann

And the 2004-2005 lockout ended NHL hockey for me. I do watch games on TV and follow the Flyers but I have not paid for a ticket, center ice or any merchandise since the lost season.

I don't sympathize with either the owners or the players, but I don't put all the blame on Fehr. This could be the owners trying to break the union. Let's make progress without their leader and then blow it up when he's back in the room.

I feel the player make a ton for playing a game and should be grateful and it angers me that they can't give up certain things.

And the owners make me angry. They forced this system that was going to save the world in 04-05 and said they wanted a partnership with the players. The first offer over the summer was not something you would send to a partner. So I get why the players are pissed off.

I love this game but I won't miss the NHL.

The Expos would've of won the 94 series
- Alexzanki

I would argue that the reason Montreal lost their franchise was because of the strike of '94. I also believe the Expos would've won the World Series. If they had, they might have been on track for better players, better attendance etc.

Fehr killed baseball for many fans. He killed the Expos for Montreal, and now he's killing hockey for the rest of us.

You know the more I watch the Jr's and see the passion of the young players... I like it.

I even went out with my son to watch a tournament a couple weeks ago with some Novice and Atom players, and really enjoyed it.

Makes you remember why they all play so hard... the love of the game.

Then I think of the last game I went to last year in the NHL, and remember the players going through the motions, it really didn't seem like they were trying very hard!!! Very Business Like!!!

I think it's time for these current NHL'ers to remember where they came from, get back to playing the game they love. They get paid alot of money to play the game!!!
- jimmc7722

+1

Fehr killed baseball for many fans. He killed the Expos for Montreal, and now he's killing hockey for the rest of us.
- Predaceous

You nailed that one D!

I would argue that the reason Montreal lost their franchise was because of the strike of '94. I also believe the Expos would've won the World Series. If they had, they might have been on track for better players, better attendance etc.

Fehr killed baseball for many fans. He killed the Expos for Montreal, and now he's killing hockey for the rest of us.
- Predaceous

I'm no great fan of Fehr, but is everyone forgetting the face who is the constant in THREE lockouts - Bettman. Why didn't the 1994 and 2004 lockouts "kill hockey" for you ? Suddenly Fehr's involvement is the tipping point ? I think that a condition of any resolution is that Bettman be removed as Commissioner.

This could be either Fehr or Bettman.
- rayc16

I know... it is why I said it... funny how the Bettman haters don't use the same standard for the leader of the NHLPA.

. Let's make progress without their leader and then blow it up when he's back in the room.

.
- rayc16

It is pretty clear that the PA came back and asked for more. How can the owners then be accused of itentionally blowing it up. By all accounts it was the PA who changed the tone and blew up all the progress.

I'm no great fan of Fehr, but is everyone forgetting the face who is the constant in THREE lockouts - Bettman. Why didn't the 1994 and 2004 lockouts "kill hockey" for you ? Suddenly Fehr's involvement is the tipping point ? I think that a condition of any resolution is that Bettman be removed as Commissioner.
- MadCap2008

Bettman has three labor actions...

Care to count how many Fehr has been leading??? In how many different sports?????

And the 2004-2005 lockout ended NHL hockey for me. I do watch games on TV and follow the Flyers but I have not paid for a ticket, center ice or any merchandise since the lost season.

I don't sympathize with either the owners or the players, but I don't put all the blame on Fehr. This could be the owners trying to break the union. Let's make progress without their leader and then blow it up when he's back in the room.

I feel the player make a ton for playing a game and should be grateful and it angers me that they can't give up certain things.

And the owners make me angry. They forced this system that was going to save the world in 04-05 and said they wanted a partnership with the players. The first offer over the summer was not something you would send to a partner. So I get why the players are pissed off.

I love this game but I won't miss the NHL.
- rayc16

I never understood the double standard. Donald Fehr's intelligence insulting grandstanding is simply "negotiating" while the owners' first offer, which they knew wasn't going to be accepted, nor did they really intend it to, was an "insult".

I'm no great fan of Fehr, but is everyone forgetting the face who is the constant in THREE lockouts - Bettman. Why didn't the 1994 and 2004 lockouts "kill hockey" for you ? Suddenly Fehr's involvement is the tipping point ? I think that a condition of any resolution is that Bettman be removed as Commissioner.
- MadCap2008

These two are gone. But maybe the only way to make sur it happens, is it if fans dont go to games.

I never understood the double standard. Donald Fehr's intelligence insulting grandstanding is simply "negotiating" while the owners' first offer, which they knew wasn't going to be accepted, nor did they really intend it to, was an "insult".
- buffalofan19

NO. Just NO!!

I would argue that the reason Montreal lost their franchise was because of the strike of '94. I also believe the Expos would've won the World Series. If they had, they might have been on track for better players, better attendance etc.

Fehr killed baseball for many fans. He killed the Expos for Montreal, and now he's killing hockey for the rest of us.
- Predaceous

I was pissed about losing that season, though ironically the Expos misfortunes ultimately resulted in my hometown getting a team. However, what would have saved baseball in Montreal is that the team wins a World Series and then the consensus might have been to allow the owner/MLB to extort the city of Montreal/province of Quebec to publicly fund a stadium (the same extortion that occurred here in DC which insured that we got the Expos, and the same extortion that we see in all of these major leagues).

Bettman has three labor actions...

Care to count how many Fehr has been leading??? In how many different sports?????
- pmccann

Let's see, I believe he oversaw the 1994 strike, the result of which has been almost 20 years of labor peace (yes, it sucked that the 1994 World Series was lost, but hell, I'd trade a lost season for 20 years of labor peace - wouldn't you as an NHL fan ?).

I'm curious as to why the loss of an NHL season/Stanley Cup in 2004/05 didn't cause you to abandon the NHL as the Strike in 1994 caused you to abandon baseball. Is it simply because Fehr wasn't involved ?

As i watched the pressers last night i had to laugh at Betman when he mentioned that it was the 3rd time the owners gave the players their "best offer". I would be trying for more too if the offers keep getting better after your "BEST OFFER". That just makes you a liar Gary.
- yttrohs

Your problem is that you are a Bettman hater no matter what. It is obvious to 99% of the fans that the game has to be repaired and the players have to give a little up to make some teams more stable financially. Yes the nhl made a bad deal last time around even though they thought they won they actually created a monster that we have now. That is hindsight and the fix is necessary now and the players should realize that they can still be millionaires and take a little less. But no, they are so greedy with their demands they can all rot as far as I am concerned. I hope the union is broke and the nhl comes back with a whole new set of rules

Your problem is that you are a Bettman hater no matter what. It is obvious to 99% of the fans that the game has to be repaired and the players have to give a little up to make some teams more stable financially. Yes the nhl made a bad deal last time around even though they thought they won they actually created a monster that we have now. That is hindsight and the fix is necessary now and the players should realize that they can still be millionaires and take a little less. But no, they are so greedy with their demands they can all rot as far as I am concerned. I hope the union is broke and the nhl comes back with a whole new set of rules
- flyerdude17

Can you detail for us what the issues are which need to be addressed and what you believe the players need to give to insure financial stability moving forward ?

I was pissed about losing that season, though ironically the Expos misfortunes ultimately resulted in my hometown getting a team. However, what would have saved baseball in Montreal is that the team wins a World Series and then the consensus might have been to allow the owner/MLB to extort the city of Montreal/province of Quebec to publicly fund a stadium (the same extortion that occurred here in DC which insured that we got the Expos, and the same extortion that we see in all of these major leagues).
- MadCap2008

Dont worry we will be back, seeing how the Marlins are doing by our dear Joeffry Lauria

Always gets the best deal for the players?

Well, do the math: a certain percentage of this year's PA membership will not play pro hockey after this season. Albeit a very small percentage. But those players will never see the "benefits" of Fehr getting the "best deal" for them.

Is there any guarantee this thing will not devolve into union decertification and a court fight? No. And if so, then you write off all or part of next year. And again, another, added small percentage of players will never play past next year—and therefore never see the benefit of over a year's lost salary.

Then you have those players making, say $4 million + per. How many seasons of the "best deal" will it take for them to recoup what they lost—assuming they get to play that long?

Another potentially huge hole in your argument is the supposition that bollocksing the deal yesterday means Fehr will get a better one. He might not.

The truth is, there is probably a point of diminishing returns in this for the PA and Fehr might have gone past it yesterday.

The other way you can look at what Fehr's job is, he's a labor attorney with a professional reputation to protect. I predicted once he and Bettman were asked out of the room, any progress made without them would be scuttled by Fehr— in order to protect his own reputation. That's what happened. And that's not in the players' best interest. End of story.
- John Jaeckel

The exact truth of the matter. It is such a shame that Fehr can lead this pack of players down this road. If I was in their union I would not give a rat's you know what about expressing how I felt. Kudos to Hamrlik, at least he has guts to same what he thinks, unlike 600 nhl players that do not want to come under the wrath of dozen or so multi millionaires like Crosby et al. Speak up NHLPA and oust your leader and we can have a fair deal and be back doing what we do best, playing hockey.

Fehr killed the Expos????? How about the fans in Montreal killed the Expos!!!!!! Average attendance of 19,000 people with the best team in baseball by FAR. Any other team in baseball would have been sold out every night. Blame the citizens of Montreal.

Your problem is that you are a Bettman hater no matter what. It is obvious to 99% of the fans that the game has to be repaired and the players have to give a little up to make some teams more stable financially. Yes the nhl made a bad deal last time around even though they thought they won they actually created a monster that we have now. That is hindsight and the fix is necessary now and the players should realize that they can still be millionaires and take a little less. But no, they are so greedy with their demands they can all rot as far as I am concerned. I hope the union is broke and the nhl comes back with a whole new set of rules
- flyerdude17

You've got me. I am a Bettman hater. Can you honestly listen to a word he says and not think "fuking weasel". The blame needs to be shared equally between the players and owners. Not just blaming players. They have agreed to go from 57% to 50%. What have the owners done??? Tell me how the owners have given back for the good of the game and get a deal done.....please tell me

Can you detail for us what the issues are which need to be addressed and what you believe the players need to give to insure financial stability moving forward ?
- MadCap2008

That is easy, put the NHL offer up to vote by players and I am betting it would have been accepted. The NHL has done their homework and will only give up as much as they can to know they are going to stay alive financially and that makes sense. The players are employees, not owners. The players do not specialize in business, they play hockey is what they do best. Let the owners own and the players play. Realistically the top players in the league are not worth more than a couple million dollars anyway, they are all grossly overpaid to play a game. They are not saving lives or fighting for their country for god's sake. They are only entertainment yet they think they are extra special and nobody is buying it.

Fehr killed the Expos????? How about the fans in Montreal killed the Expos!!!!!! Average attendance of 19,000 people with the best team in baseball by FAR. Any other team in baseball would have been sold out every night. Blame the citizens of Montreal.
- yttrohs

It's revisionist, but sounds nice when trying to blame Fehr for all of the evils in the sports world :

During the 2000 season, Loria requested additional public funding for the planned new ballpark in downtown Montreal, Labatt Park. However, the municipal and provincial governments vetoed public funding; Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard said that he couldn't in good conscience allow public funding for a new stadium when the province was being forced to close hospitals. In addition, Olympic Stadium still had not been paid for (the debt was not fully retired until 2006). As a result, the plans for the proposed downtown ballpark were cancelled

I'm no great fan of Fehr, but is everyone forgetting the face who is the constant in THREE lockouts - Bettman. Why didn't the 1994 and 2004 lockouts "kill hockey" for you ? Suddenly Fehr's involvement is the tipping point ? I think that a condition of any resolution is that Bettman be removed as Commissioner.
- MadCap2008

This

This
- Conflict076

That is why he calls himself MadCap